I’m making my breakfast in the hostel kitchen when a man enters and starts cleaning. 

“Hello,” I greet him.

“Ello,” he says in his French accent. 

Oh, French! That’s cool. Yeah, I like accents. 

He tells me he moved here with his girlfriend eleven years ago, that he’s not together with her anymore, but loved the town and took the job at the hostel because it’s easy. 

I ask him what sites around Iceland he’s seen, excited to hear any tidbits he might have. He hasn’t seen any. I’m flummoxed by someone who’s moved here yet never stepped foot out of Reykjavik. My jaw must have dropped.

He shrugs. “I have no car and I’m not really interested in seeing anything.”

Even with the French accent, my interest in him has gone from 10 to 0 in one second. A new speed record. How could anyone possibly not be drawn to see the amazing beauty in Iceland?

I cart my suitcase down the four flights of stairs. My spontaneous smile spreads across my face. I’m going somewhere new today! 

On the Road to Vik

Before I head out, I check the map for gas and pit stops. My first stop is the abandoned DC3 that’s about two hours drive. The drive is pretty easy, there’s only one main road. 

I pass waterfalls, tall cliffs, dark green fields, goats, and horses. 

I arrive at the parking lot – my friend Lyria described it perfectly – it’s a nondescript gravel lot by the side of the road. There is a sign at the entrance to the trail with a picture of the DC3, so I know I’m in the right place. 

I had read that they had once let visitors drive up to the site, but many people didn’t know how to drive in sand and would get stuck. Yep, that’s why I have to walk an hour and a half down a rocky road surrounded by flat boring nothing to see an abandoned aircraft. 

I get the attraction, it’s a cool aircraft, but I’ve also been involved in aviation since the time I was eleven and got my private pilot’s license when I was sixteen, so I take some quick photos, make sure to get a selfie and head back. 

Trudging the hour and a half back, I feel like I’d rather spend my time wandering a beach, I think about how it would be much better to do a destination photo. My friend Lyria does does these amazing photos of women standing on the DC3 in long flowing dresses, and I think about how badly I need a bathroom.

I get back to my car. Down the road, I pull over to take a picture of a waterfall and realize I’ve left my Cannon camera on this whole morning. The battery is dead, and no way to charge it in the car.

On to Vik

Ugh. I had been planning on checking out Dyrholaey for puffins. Instead, I’ll have to pass it by to check in to the VIK HI Hostel and charge the batteries before I do anything else. 

I follow my google map instructions to the hostel onto a gravel road and a lovely farm. I run up to the front door and there’s a phone number, but I’m dying to use a bathroom, so I dash into the building, and take off my boots (because no one wants that sand from the black beaches of Vik in their house) as per the sign in the lobby.

It’s so quiet! I look around a corner and I don’t see anything. Then I spot an older man in the kitchen. 

“Is there a bathroom somewhere?” I ask with urgency in my voice.

He points with his spoon and I’m ready to follow his directions. “There’s a phone number on the front door you can call.”

Really dude? I’m dying here. I probably rolled my eyes. Then I dashed up the stairs to see what I could find. Yay! A WC, aka water closet. Whew. 

Then I call the phone number and the owner let’s me know there’s an envelope for me on the counter. I move my things into my dorm room. All six bunks are empty except for linens, so I’m the only one so far. Outside my window looks down onto Vik and the ocean. What a view!

On my way out to explore, I meet the owner. She and her husband own the farm and have a couple of adorable dogs that even know how to close a door. The owner hands me a map of the area. The map is labeled https://visitvik.is/ which has a lot of great info about Vik. 

Looking over the map, there’s so much I could do from here – hiking, glacier tours, and more. 

I get back in the car, desperate for coffee and food, in that order. I wander a bit and land on Smidjan, a brewery. And yay, they have coffee! But I shouldn’t have worried, Icelanders drink more coffee than the rest of the world.

The man behind the bar who explains the process (order at the bar and then take a seat) has a gorgeous English accent. He has a sparkle in his eye and I consider staying in Vik to explore and maybe getting a chance to chat with him. I do have a reservation at a hostel for tomorrow night, a reservation that I made months ago and have no idea why I picked it. I can always cancel.

He probably thinks I’m weird, ordering coffee at a brewery, but my caffeine addiction needs fed, and I order the chicken burger because it sounds awesome, and it is.

On to the Black Beaches of Vik

Next, I head out to the black beaches of Vik to explore. The sand is this intense black and the beach is covered in small rocks that have been smoothed by being in the ocean. Out in the water are four giant craggy rocks, I find a plaque that explains the a story behind them.

At one time there was a prince searching for a wife. A female troll wanted to get on the ship but the prince refused to let her board so she turned all the men and three mast ship into stone and now she stands watch. 

I have a great time taking photos of the beach and the prince’s ship, climbing onto rocks to watch the ocean waves, and searching for puffins.

On my way back to the hostel, I stop at the Vik grocery store. I’ve been searching for some Norwegian potato chips that I love (discovered them on a trip to Norway once). No Norwegian chips, in fact there are Lay’s potato chips and even some gluten free El Paso tortillas. Huh.

Dorm Room Miscalculation

I get back to the hostel and set up in the dining room. My view from here is great – I can see the whole town. I write and catch up on email. My feet won’t stay warm because I’m in socks, so I decide to go to bed.

I’m sleeping when someone opens the door. My eyes flash open for a second to see a guy entering the dorm. Darn it. I had forgotten that I had reserved a co-ed room and I’m naked under these sheets. How am I going to get dressed in the morning?

I immediately go back to sleep, then wake up hours later to the sound of dual snores. Two guys in the room now. I carefully slide into some clothes before either of them wake up and get up for breakfast.

I’ve decided to keep my next reservation and I really hope I made my reservation in a female dorm for the next stop, because guys are loud, but I can’t remember and I’m not going to look it up. I just keep my fingers crossed.

Do you want more information about travel to Iceland? You can sign up here to get The Single Woman’s Guide to Iceland – Post Covid Almost.

Or maybe you just need an adventurous novel for that long flight. You can nab the highly rated thriller/adventure, Toy of the Gods today!

Or check out day one of my Iceland trip or check out Day 5 of my trip where I explore Diamond Beach.